Red Bull are aware that they are "starting with a mountain to climb" with their first engine, admits Mekies
Red Bull are aware that they are "starting with a mountain to climb" with their first engine, the Milton Keynes-based outfit's team principal Lauren Mekies has admitted.
For 2026, Red Bull and sister team RB will switch from Honda engines to power units developed by Red Bull Powertrains after the Milton Keynes-based outfit elected to manufacture their own engines when the new technical regulations come into effect.
Red Bull will partner up with American automotive giant Ford with the car manufacturer's contribution set to come in the form of battery expertise.
2026 will see that the 1600 cc, 90-degree V6 architecture remains unchanged, with a similar RPM limit. However, the MGU-H will be ditched while further key changes will include an increase in output for the MGU-K and much tighter constraints on internal combustion engine design.
The ICE will run on 100% sustainable fuel by 2026, which must be sourced from non-food bio sources, municipal waste or certified carbon capture schemes.
Asked to reveal his impression of how Red Bull's power unit project is progressing, team boss Laurent Mekies admitted that it will be an "unbelievable challenge" for the Milton Keynes-based outfit to develop its first ever engine.
"I think it’s an Everest to climb. That’s what it is. It’s as crazy as it gets to take the decision to do your own power unit, as Red Bull has done. It's an unbelievable challenge to be associated with. It’s the sort of crazy stuff Red Bull does – so it’s a good feeling.
"But we don’t underestimate how crazy it is. These guys have been doing it for 90 years or something like that. So it would be silly from our side to think we're going to come here and, right from the start, be at Ferrari’s or Mercedes’ level. That would be silly. But it’s being set up the Red Bull way – at the maximum possible level.
Pushed on to elaborate on the process of how Red Bull improved the infrastructure of its new engine department, Mekies added. "We take it step by step. We are trying to ramp up as quickly as possible – both the PU and the structure that goes around the PU: the people, the infrastructure.
"Then, as I said, we expect a year with a lot of hard work, a lot of sleepless nights next year to try to get to the right level. But it’s a challenge that very much feels like a Red Bull challenge, and we love that.
"We’re not going to put a number on where we think we’ll be – because I don’t think anybody has a number – but we know we’re starting with a mountain to climb."
